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T O P I C R E V I E W

Bob M

I'm not actually a space patch collector, however, over the years I have obtained a fair number through various means. My favorite is a Greg Jarvis patch issued by Hughes for his 51L flight and I have just seen an identical one offered in the an upcoming auction.

Its description states that it was never released by Hughes and only a handful were given out to selected individuals.

Its description is contrary to what I was told by the person who gave me mine after the loss of Challenger. He informed me that these Jarvis/Hughes 51L patches were freely given out at the KSC Press Site before the launch and were not in short supply, as the auction description states.

I have always wondered how rare/scarce/desirable these really are and if any patch collectors have more information about them?

benguttery

These patches are around, but not in very large quantities.

hoorenz

I believe Jacques even has a rarer patch - the Hughes/Jarvis patch for his original mission, 51D. Maybe he wants to post a scan?

Go4Launch

Bob, I agree with Ben. It is true that the blue Leasat patches were freely-distributed at the launch, but not the red (Jarvis) version.

hoorenz

Oh, we are talking about the blue one. Very common. I thought this was about the Greg Jarvis Mission Specialist 51L (with drawing of fluid experiment) patch.

Go4Launch

I forgot about the fluid experiment patch, which I now realize this thread is about!

Yes, those were available at the press site; but certainly not thousands of them. So I still agree with Ben; but would add that the red Leasat patch worn by Jarvis is much rarer than even the fluid experiment patch.

Voyager1975

I take it that Greg Jarvis was given the Hughes First Payload Specialist 51L patch even though that was the one patch he never wore. Just the Hughes patch and the Leasat program patch on his flight suit along with all the NASA patches. But as far as the personal patches go it looks like he only wore those two.

Jacques van Oene

I have this version:

But if that's a rare one I do not know...

benguttery

I have the orange, yellow, and blue one.

Bob M

So we've determined that these Jarvis/Hughes 51L patches aren't rare nor unissued and that the lot's description is in error.

Go4Launch

Yes, that's a good summary.

By the way, I have never seen the patch Jacques posted; I believe Jarvis did wear a "red Leasat" patch, although this patch is not it. Even so, I would suspect Jacques' patch is pretty rare, certainly more so than the one in the auction.

benguttery

I've never seen the one posted above either. Great patch. I think the one Jarvis and others wore is this one.

Voyager1975

Yes, Greg Jarvis wore the red Leasat patch. All you have to do is look at the STS-51L Challenger crew photo.

garyd2831

How rare is the LEASAT patch that Greg Jarvis wore on the STS-51L mission?

I won on eBay a blue version similar in design to the one that Jarvis wore. The one that Jarvis wore had the color red as part of the color scheme.

This patch is different from the souvenir ones that I have seen that states "Hughes First Payload Specialist" "Greg Jarvis". The version Jarvis wore only stated LEASAT on it.

Editor's note: Threads merged.

hoorenz

Blue patch is 3"; red patch is 4". Although at least two replica's of the 4" red patch are "out there" (one of them made by Stewart Aviation in England), I have never come accross the same type that Jarvis was wearing. While comparing any red patch you find to 51L photography, especially note the area where the two sphere like antenna's and the word "Leasat" are meeting.

A smaller red version of the Leasat logo formed the center of the "Hughes First Payload Specialist" patch, when Jarvis was still supposed to fly on 51D. This was later changed to an image of his fluids experiment, because 51L did not plan to launch a Leasat satellite.

I do have the exact blue patch you own (it comes up for auction a couple of times each year - it is not as rare as the real red version Jarvis was wearing). My patch originally came from the collection of Randy Wagner (the "good" Randy) who received many patches personally from astronauts. On the back of my patch, like on many of the patches I have from Randy's collection, is a typed up note: "gift from Gregory Jarvis". So, Jarvis was handing these blue patches out himself at the time of the flight and these can be considered "official", next to the rare red patch.

Bob M

While not actually a patch collector, I have managed to acquire a number through the years, with a few that I've always been curious about their status and desirability.

One is this Jarvis/Hughes First Payload Specialist patch, which from what I was told, was one of a number given out at the KSC Press Site at the time of STS-51L.

Any info would be appreciated. Thanks.

Editor's note: Threads merged.

Ken Havekotte

quote:Originally posted by Bob M:One is this Jarvis/Hughes First Payload Specialist patch, which from what I was told, was one of a number given out at the KSC Press Site at the time of STS-51L.

The Greg Jarvis patch is indeed a special production from Hughes in which I was given a small quantity of them on the same day as the Challenger tragedy while at the shuttle press site's Joint Industry Press Center (JIPC).

p51

Three years after the 51L disaster, I was in art school with someone who'd worked for Hughes PR department. He told me they had tons of promotional materials for Jarvis's mission, all of which he said they dumped in the trash because everyone wanted to get the whole thing behind them. I bet some of them regret doing that now...

EXO Planet

I still have some Hughes LEASAT stickers.

BMacKinnon

I am a volunteer at Michigan's Military and Space Heroes Museum in Frankenmuth, Michigan. Greg Jarvis was born in Detroit, Michigan and we are putting together a permanent display to honor and remember Greg.

I am trying to locate an/any LEASAT patch for his exhibit. Either for purchase or long term loan. Also a Hughes patch. If anyone has any leads, please let me know. Thanks! (We have displays on 15 other Michigan astronauts.)